Pirkle Jones

Originally published in the Britannica Book of the Year.Presented as archival content.

Last Updated:

10-20-2009

Pirkle Jones, (born Jan. 2, 1914, Shreveport, La.—died March 15, 2009, San Rafael, Calif.) American photographer who documented the lives of migrant farm workers, environmentally threatened California towns, and leaders of the Black Panther Party (at the height of its influence in the late 1960s) in compelling images that evinced the influence of his mentors, noted photographers Ansel Adams and Minor White. Jones produced a body of work that showed his mastery of the zone system technique taught by Adams and White, and he also incorporated elements that reflected Adams’s dedication to the environment and White’s social consciousness. With noted photographer Dorothea ... (100 of 181 words)